====== WP 3 - NEXPReS Project eVLBI Scientific Advisory Group (eVSAG).  ======
 
WP coordinator is Paco Colomer (<f.colomer@oan.es>)

The e-VLBI Science Advisory Group, eVSAG, coordinates the discussions linking the science and technology of
e-VLBI with possible operational and policy impacts. This will be done by encouraging communications through
existing channels and regular meetings. In the EVN all operational and policy changes are to be enforced by the
Consortium Board of Directors, taking advice from an operations group and a scientific programme committee.
By having member overlap with these groups the eVSAG will be able to prepare the policy and operational
changes that the new observational capabilities demand.

Recent and rapid improvements in technology have created gaps between the organizational processes of VLBI
and technical capabilities. For example, e-VLBI observations are currently scheduled weeks in advance for 24
hour periods while, in principle, the advances made would allow the telescopes to participate at any moment
via adaptive and flexible schedules. The eVSAG will continue discussions initiated during the EXPReS project,
addressing topics like the adaptive global scheduling of e-VLBI. Rreal-time VLBI operations also require a
different scheme for manning telescopes and correlator, which call for a discussion of the operational model;
it may be more optimal, also for the astronomers, to have more frequent observing runs rather than the long
dedicated sessions.

NEXPReS will bring some fairly significant operational changes to the EVN. One of the tasks of the eVSAG
will be to explain the activities of NEXPReS and its implications for the community at large. Some of these
discussions will also be relevant for e-LOFAR operations, also represented in the forum. It can be expected that
many of these topics will have implications for the operational model of the SKA.
Efforts will be made for eVSAG meetings to be held concurrently with larger meetings. Symbiotic meetings can
help to ensure a critical mass, which is important for establishing common ground. Discussions will continue over
mailing lists and via existing e-VLBI and VLBI community resources. As was the case in EXPReS, the eVSAG
will also organize an end-of-project science and technology meeting.


===== Documents =====


  * eVSAG documents in EXPReS project (2006-2009) are [[http://www.jive.nl/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=expres:science|here]].

  * Current [[http://www.evlbi.org/evlbi/e-vlbi_status.html|eVLBI status table]]
 

===== eVSAG members =====


^ Name ^ Institution ^ As... ^
| Alef, Walter | MPIfR Bonn, Germany | EVN TOG Chair |
| Boven, Paul | JIVE, The Netherlands | NEXPReS WP6 |
| Campbell, Bob | JIVE, The Netherlands | EVN PC |
| Colomer, Paco (Chair) | OAN Madrid, Spain | WP Chair |
| Conway, John | Onsala, Sweden | User |
| Desmurs, Jean-Francois | OAN Madrid, Spain | EVN PC |
| Frey, Sandor | FOMI-SGO, Hungary | User |
| Giroletti, Marcelo | IRA-INAF, Italy | User |
| Kettenis, Mark | JIVE, The Netherlands | NEXPReS WP7 |
| Lindqvist, Michael | Onsala, Sweden | EVN PC |
| Lobanov, Andrei | MPIfR Bonn, Germany | EVN PC |
| Maccarone, Tom | U. Southampton, UK | User |
| Mujunen, Ari | Aalto University, Finland | NEXPReS WP8 |
| Muxlow, Tom | JBO, UK | EVN PC |
| Paragi, Zsolt | JIVE, The Netherlands | User |
| Pérez-Torres, Miguel Ángel | IAA-CSIC, Spain | User |
| Polatidis, Antonios | ASTRON, The Netherlands | EVN PC |
| Porcas, Richard | MPIfR, Germany | EVN Scheduler |
| Rushton, Anthony | Univ Manchester, UK | User |
| Shen, Zhiqiang | Shanghai Observatory, China | EVN PC |
| Szomoru, Arpad | JIVE, The Netherlands | NEXPReS WP5 |
| Tudose, Valeriu | ASTRON, The Netherlands | User |
| Venturi, Tiziana | INAF-IRA, Italy | EVN PC Chair |
| Vlemmings, Wouter | Univ. of Bonn, Germany | EVN PC |